Associated Builders & Contractors, Inc. Launches Campaign Against Discriminatory Practices of Almac and S...( Union-only Project Labor Agreement S...),Health

Union-only Project Labor Agreement Signed for Almac's New Headquarters in

Lower Salford, Pa.

EAST NORRITON, Pa., July 8 /PRNewswire/ -- Southeast Pennsylvania Chapter Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc. (ABC SEPA) announced today that it has launched a comprehensive marketing campaign to increase the awareness of the discriminatory practices of Almac, an Irish company serving the pharmaceutical industry and its general contractor, Skanska USA. Almac and Skanska are building a new 240,000-square-foot headquarters for Almac in Lower Salford, Pa. They have elected to utilize a discriminatory device known as a union-only Project Labor Agreement (PLA) for the project.

Most people are unaware that more than 75 percent of construction workers in the greater Philadelphia area are Merit or open shop and only 25 percent have elected to join a union. Additionally, $20 million in taxes subsidies is being allocated to this project by the Township of Lower Salford. If Almac opened the bidding to all qualified contractors, the cost of the project would be reduced and there would be no need for a public subsidy.

"We believe a construction job should be based on value, safety, training, quality and experience and be awarded to the lowest responsible bidder, regardless of their labor affiliation," said Geoffrey Zeh, president and CEO of ABC SEPA. "Obviously, Almac and Skanska don't have these same values. They are discriminating against the majority of construction workers in the area who are helping to fund the project with their hard-earned tax dollars. Townships, like Lower Salford, need to understand the impact of such decisions and we are hoping that this campaign will heighten the awareness of all the parties involved in this un-American practice."

The awareness campaign includes print advertisements that are titled "My Daddy Can't Work on the Almac/Skanska Project in Montgomery County," as well as 60-second r
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